“Congratulations.” The softly spoken word came from behind her, and she swiveled on her heels. Jake stood in the shadows at the corner of the room, and her heart rate picked up until she could hear it thudding in her ears. He took a step toward her, his face impassive.
“Hi, Jake. How’s your head?”
A smile flickered across his face. “It’s good. Are you sorry about that?”
Did she want him to suffer? “No.”
“Aren’t you going to see what’s inside?” He nodded toward the safe.
She turned back and tugged open the safe door. It was almost empty. Just two items. She drew out the contents: a small velvet box and a semiautomatic pistol.
With one hand, she flicked open the box, but she already knew what would be inside. An engagement ring. The most beautiful ring she had ever seen in her entire life. And a piece of paper. She tucked the gun down her jeans, unfolded the note, and read the two words.
Marry me?
She blinked a couple of times, then rose to her feet and faced Jake.
“You keep telling me not to say those words to you. So I thought I would write them instead. That way you can wad it up and throw it away.” He nodded to the ring in her hand. “It’s a champagne diamond. The same color as your eyes.”
The stone was stunning, dark gold, with deeper orange tones. She glanced from it to the gun. “So you want me to choose?”
He shook his head. “No. You can have both. Or either. You want the gun, and I’ll not hold you back—it’s your life, your decision. But I hope you’ll take the ring as well.”
“What happened to treating me mean?” she asked.
A small smile tugged at his lips. “I was hoping I hadn’t actually brought that up.”
“You did.”
She stared out the window while she considered her next move. Her plan was to get into the safe and then tell Jake she didn’t want the promotion, that she wanted his love far more. That was to be her proof. Now he was telling her she could have everything.
But she didn’t want everything. She wanted Jake.
Slowly, she pulled out the pistol and aimed it at his heart.
“I’m going to have your baby. What are you going to do about it?”
Shock flared across his face, followed by…joy and maybe the briefest flash of fear. He swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m not.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I’m deliriously happy. It will be the most beautiful baby in the whole world.”
A smile curved his lips, glinted in his blue eyes. “I’m glad.”
She remembered her father’s advice and took a deep breath. “But we both need you, Jake. You’re going to have to give up all those reckless hobbies and look after us. No jumping out of airplanes with your dad.”
“I think living with you will be exciting enough.”
“And you need to make an honest woman out of me.” She waved the gun a little to emphasize her words. “Or I might shoot you.”
His smile widened. “It’s not loaded.”
“Does it need to be?”
“No.”
She placed the gun on the desk. “I don’t want it.”
“I’m glad. And you know you can always be my bodyguard if life gets too boring. It’s a 24-7 job and guaranteed for life.”
“That one I will accept. Well, until the baby comes, then I’ll be busy.” She took the few steps toward him and handed him the box. “Put it on for me.”
He took it from her and slipped the ring from inside, then lifted her left hand. “You ready?”
She nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
The ring slid on her finger, a perfect fit.
She heard a noise behind her, but there was one more thing she needed to do, and she refused to be distracted. Screwing her eyes up tight, she willed the words to her throat.
“What are you doing?” Jake asked.
She blinked. “I’m getting ready to jump, of course.”
“I’ll catch you.”
“I know.” She could do this. “I love you, Jake. And I want to marry you and have your babies and tie you up to four-posters, and—”
“You might want to stop there,” Jake murmured.
“Nah, let her keep going, boss. It was getting interesting.”
She turned slowly to see a whole crowd of grinning coworkers loitering in the open doorway.
“Congratulations,” Dave said. “I knew you’d get there in the end.”
“Which is a hell of a lot more than I did,” Jake muttered. Then he held out his arms, and Kim stepped into them.
A cheer sounded from the doorway.
“Just a moment,” Jake said. He released her, stalked across the room, hustled them out, and slammed the door in their faces. “Now, where were we?”
“I believe we were at the point you were about to tell me that you’d always do what I say, that I’d wear the trousers in our marriage, that you’ll never tell me what to do, that you’ll—”
He stopped her words with a brief, hard kiss, then dropped to his knees and pressed his lips to her stomach. Leaning back, he stared up into her face.
“Marry me,” he ordered.
What could she say? He was Jake. “Yes, boss.”